PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) decisions — 2010

The Veteran's appeal for a TDIU is being remanded due to inadequate reasons and bases in the previous decision, as well as the need for additional development including obtaining medical records and possibly Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits information.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for extra-schedular consideration due to his service-connected disabilities, which render him unable to work.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining a VA examination of his service-connected PTSD and completing additional development on the other issues.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and bipolar disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the onset of his psychiatric conditions during service, and whether any preexisting condition was aggravated by service.

The Veteran's PTSD did not result in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. The greater weight of the evidence is against a higher disability rating for PTSD than the 50 percent assigned.

The Veteran's case has been remanded due to the need for additional development and formal adjudication of his claims, including service connection for major depressive disorder and alcohol abuse disability as secondary to PTSD.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed stressors were not verified and his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD. The claim was denied as there is no evidence linking any current psychiatric disability to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed PTSD is not related to service and denied her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD is manifested by sleep impairment, intrusive thoughts, nightmares, flashbacks, irritability, decreased socialization, depressed mood, mild memory impairment and difficulty concentrating. This results in occupational and social impairment with no more than occasional decreases in work efficiency.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The claims for a higher initial evaluation for PTSD with depression and TDIU have not progressed as the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inextricably intertwined issue of a higher rating for PTSD and the need to adjudicate TDIU prior to addressing it. The claim for TDIU will be submitted to the Director, Compensation and Pension Service for extraschedular consideration if denied.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD has been withdrawn by his representative.

The Veteran's death was not due to his own willful misconduct, and he had a total disability rating for less than the required period of time (less than 10 years prior to death) or did not meet the criteria as a former POW. Therefore, DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 are denied.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied due to the lack of a verified in-service event. The claims for bilateral heel disability, lumbar spine disability, and headache disorder were also denied.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, effective from the date his claim was received in March 2004. The RO has granted service connection for PTSD and denied claims for prostatitis and a respiratory disorder as secondary to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is denied as there is no credible evidence to support the occurrence of the claimed in-service stressors, and his dementia does not cause or aggravate his PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD has been shown to cause significant occupational and social impairment, warranting a rating of 70 percent.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain updated treatment records, confirm the Veteran's reported stressors, and provide an opinion regarding whether his psychiatric disorders are related to service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD resulted in a 30 percent disability rating from April 29, 2007 to October 28, 2008 and a 70 percent disability rating from October 29, 2008 to May 5, 2009. Service connection was denied for sinusitis, hypertension, chronic diarrhea, heart palpitations, left knee disability, and right knee disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's residuals of left biceps tendon rupture were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, nor are they the result of or proximately due to a service-connected disorder. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.